April 30, 2021
Contact: Gene Kennedy
Senior Public Information Specialist
gkennedy@rivco.org
(951) 203-0343
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Riverside County Expands Hours of Social Services Lobbies Beginning Monday
Customers encouraged to use phone and online services whenever possible
RIVERSIDE COUNTY, Ca.— More than a dozen Riverside County social services locations will expand lobby hours beginning Monday (May 3) to help customers who can’t access services by phone or the internet.
The offices, including locations in Indio, Moreno Valley, Hemet and Norco, will be open Mon.- Fri. between 8 a.m. and noon, to help customers apply for food, cash, housing, health, workforce training, and other assistance programs.
“We are happy to be expanding our hours in the post-pandemic recovery” said Allison Gonzalez, assistant director of Self Sufficiency for the Department of Public Social Services (DPSS).
Last year DPSS administered $1.5 billion in self-sufficiency benefits to 750,000 residents in Riverside County, the nation’s tenth most populous county.
Gonzalez said the programs are a gateway to independence for working-class households experiencing hardships, providing much-needed financial and medical assistance, job training and educational support. The benefits also ensure low-income children have lunch at school and access to doctor’s visits.
“These programs help people become economically stable in the long run, and they are literally lifelines for our disabled and elderly neighbors,” Gonzalez said. “The needs in our county, like many in our nation, are great. It’s an honor to be here to help.”
While lobby hours will increase for limited in-person service, officials urge customers to use internet or phone services whenever possible, to minimize the chance for a resurgence of COVID-19. The expanded lobby hours align with state health guidelines which put Riverside County in the orange tier, allowing limited capacity at indoor facilities.
Customers can expect safeguards at DPSS locations, including screening questions, hand sanitizer stations, plexiglass shields at counters and physical distancing requirements.
Customers can apply for and manage food, cash and health insurance benefits 24 hours a day on C4Youself.com or by using the C4Yourself mobile app. Anyone with questions about Self Sufficiency benefits can call 1-877-410-8827. Customers will find updated walk-in hours by clicking this link: http://dpss.co.riverside.ca.us/office-locations.
DPSS has been serving Riverside County since 1923, when it began with its first two workers. Today, the department is more than 4,000 employees strong, serving one million residents a year in the nation’s tenth most populous county.
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